Undergarment



Jan. 14, 1936. A. M. REIS 2,027,987

UNDERGARMENT Filed May 14, 1955 s' sheets-sheet 2 A n 4a 36 l drzhzmm. ms

Jan. 14', 1936.

A.*M. REIS UNDERGARMENT Filed May 14, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gmc/who@ Patented Jan. 14, 193e UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNDERGARMENT Arthur M. Reis, New York, N. Y. Application May 14, 1935, Serial No. 21,463

2 claims. (o1. a-zzi) This invention relates to undergarments and particularly to that type of mens undergarment known in the, trade as shorts.

Heretofore undergarments of this general type have been made in such a way as to possess considerable elasticity throughout the body portion. In some instances rubber has been used in various ways to provide that elasticity. Some such garments have been constructed so as to have a limited stretch with the object in view of supporting the abdominal portions of the wearer. However those garments which possessed a limited stretch often were found to be uncomfortably tight.

It is also well-known that various types of athletic accoutrement have been designed with parts constructed so as to act as a suspensory. Of course athletic supports as such are also well-known. Such devices however have been found to be quite detrimental to health if worn constantly and particularly if worn at times when no strenuous exercise is contemplated.

One of the objects the present invention is to provide an undergarment of the type known as shorts which will lit snugly to the body without binding and the seams of which are positioned so as not to chafe the body of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment which possesses a lateral stretch throughout the body portion. A further object of the invention is to provide such a garment which is also comprised of a material which will absorb perspiration.

The invention has for a still further object a construction of a garment which possesses considerable elasticity laterally across the abdominal portion so that the garment will iit snugly but will not offer any real support for the abdominal portions of the wearer.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an undergarment of this type which may be worn at all times as an undergarment and still offer gentle effective athletic support of a nature which is so mild that the parts of the wearer are supported in a position which approximates the normal position. The garment is designed so that its continued use will not affeet the health of the wearer detrimentally. A need for such a garment and the advantages thereof will be immediately apparent particularly to those who may be desirous of indulging in athletic exercise and for street or o'ice clothing.

A further object of this invention is the construction of a one piece undergarment to cover the torso and another object is to construct a one piece garment which covers the greater part of the torso and offers a mild athletic support without danger of uncomfortable strain.

It is contemplated as a further object of the invention to construct a one piece garment which may be conveniently arranged for utility purposes without the necessity of disengaging fastening elements.

These and other purposes of the invention will be more apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which like numerals Arefer to like parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of one form of the invention in the shape it assumes when worn.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same form of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a right side perspective view of the same form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is an exaggerated cross section through line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front view of another form of my invention in the shape it assumes when worn.

Fig. 6 is a lay-out of the blank which would form the type of garment shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a front view of a third form of my invention in the shape it assumes when worn.

Fig. 8 is a right side perspective view of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a rear view of the same form of invention.

Fig. 10 is a front view of the blank from which the third form of garment is cut.

As indicated in Fig. l the front portion of the garment is composed of two side panels 2 and 4 and an insert 6 which extends downwardly under the crotch. The side panels 2 and 4 are composed, in the preferred form of the invention, of the usual ribbed knitted fabric which possesses considerable stretch transversely of the ribs. In the present form of garment the ribs are arranged vertically so that the great stretch is transverse of the garment. The material used has only a slight or limited resiliency longitudinally of the garment.

The reference numeral 8 indicates a waist band which is preferably about one inch in width and which is composed of knitted or other elastic material possessing considerable stretch longitudinally of the waist band and transversely of the garment. The Waist band may be attached to the upper edges of the assembled front and back portions by any suitable method suchy as by stitching.

Each of the side panels is substantially rectangular lin shape and the ribs of the material therein run along the direction of the greater measurement. The lower short side III of each panel is cut along an arcuate line and slightly on the bias with respect to the ribs of the material. This lower side of each panel forms a part of the substantially circular leg openings and together with the arcuate edges of the crotch strap they form more than one-half of the leg opening. i

The insert 6 is composed of a double knitted ribbed fabric preferably of cotton, so arranged that it also has a great transverse stretch and a slight longitudinal stretch. That portion of the insert 8 which forms a center panel of the front body portion of the garment is cut on both sides on a slight bias with the wider portion of the panel at a point just` in front of and above the crotch and the narrower portion uppermost where it is attached to the waist band 8. The tapered edges may be 'secured to the panels 2 and 4 by stitching I2 or other suitable means. The body portion of the garment is thus shaped as to be wider at its lower extremity than at the top depending upon the angle of the bias cut on the sides of the insert.

The lower portion of the insert 6, namely, the portion of the insert which is below the front body portion of the garment forms the crotch strap. 'Ihe edges of the crotch strap are each cut along an arcuate line and form parts of the leg openings as mentioned above.

The rear portion I4 of the garment, as shown in Fig. 2, is preferably composed of knitted ribbed cotton material of the type used in the front panels 2 and 4. The ribs of the material are arranged vertically of the garment so that the greater transverse resiliency of the material is transverse with respect to the garment. The back portion of the garment is preferably formed of one piece which is substantially square when in an unstretched or normal shape, the width being equal to the combined width of the three front panels. 'I'he length of the back piece will vary according to the size of the garment but in any given garment the length should be substantially the distance from the waistline to the median line of the crotch.

The lower corners are cut out of the back portion to form a part of the leg opening. This line of cut may be arcuate or it may be a straight cut on the bias. In either case the goods may be gathered or puckered slightly when the elastic, to be described later, shall be attached. Regardless of the contour of the line of cutting above, it is a part of this invention that the length of the line of cut in the back portion shall always be le`ss than one-half of the total circumference of the leg opening. By` so controlling this length of the cut, the leg openings are capable of being taken more out of the front portion of the garment and the larger amount of material left in the seat at this point insures comfort not heretofore known to this type of garment.

Where, as in other garments of this type, the leg openings have been taken one-half out of the seat portion and one-half out of the front portion, the goods in the seat portion had a tendency to gather at the crotch and at the point above the crotch. The relatively low position of the two converging lines I6 the position of the leg openings, the high degree of lateral resilience and the porosity of the material all combine to insure comfort at the rear ot the crotch.

In assembling the front and rear portions to form the garment, the side edges `of the front and rear portions are stitched together to form the seams I8 and 20 and the lower edge ofthe rear portion and the lower edge of the crotch strap are stitched together at 22, thus closing the central lower part of the garment and completing the substantially circular leg openings 24 on each side of the central or crotch portion.

It will be noted that the positioning of the leg openings results in another novel advantage. The two converging edges I Il of the front body portion which, if extended so as to intersect would form an angle the sides of which coincide with the angle formed along the line where the esh of the legs joins the flesh of the torso, provide the greatest possible freedom from binding. The two converging edges I6 of the rear portion form a more obtuse angle which, it has been found, is also positioned and suited to the flesh lines at contacting portions of the body.

The leg openings are finished with an elastic 2B which may be stitched upon the goods or inserted in a hem but in the preferred form the elastic is held upon the goods by stitching. Great care has been exercised in the choice of a proper elastic. It is a part of this invention that the elastic shall be of such a degree of resiliency that it shall be restrained and limitedl in its extension by the knitted material to which it is attached. Thus, where the elastic runs substantially parallel to the ribs oi the material there can be no great extension of the elastic because the material to which it is attached has a limited longitudinal stretch. The elastic is free, however, to contract the material to which it is attached. Where the elastic runs obliquely or perpendicularly across the ribs of the material, there is no great restriction in the stretch of either the material or the elastic because the elastic should be selected, in accordance with this invention, as to size and quality so that it restrains only mildly the great transverse resiliency of the material. The garment will thus always flt comfortably close to the body without binding.

Elastic is attached completely around the leg openings, providing easy and even tension in such a manner that when worn, a natural pouch is formed in the garment for gentle but effective athletic support.

As shown in Fig. 4, the crotch strap of the garment when the garment is Worn follows the lines of the body at that point and makes a shallow hammock-like form which mildly restrains depending portions of the body. The use of material having no appreciable longitudinal stretch assures a mild support for these parts; while the great transverse resiliency of the material, and the slight restraining force of the elastic along the edges of the material cause the central portion of the crotch strap to give way under a slight weight or pressure while the edges of the strap iit snugly against the lower limits of the torso.

In addition to the ability of the crotch strap to be stretched into hammock-like form the material which forms the crotch strap naturally falls into a pouch shape because of the fact that the number of stitches in a given lineal measurement of the crotch strap when stitched 'in position is greater through the central portion that along the edges. The use of material having a great transverse resiliency and only slight longitudinal resiliency along with the use of the elastic on the edges of the crotch strap permits this hammock-like shape to become greatly exaggerated when slight pressure is placed on the crotch strap.

The form of garment shown in Fig. 5 is a variation of my yinvention and the blank form shown in Fig. 6 shows the form from which the garment in Fig. 5 is assembled. The entire blank is knit in one piece. The parts 28 and 30 respectively represent the front and back portions of the garment and the part 32 is the crotch strap. All portions are composed of a ribbed knitted fabric having the ribs. of the material running in a direction of the greatest length of the blank; that is, from top to bottom of the garment. In the preferred form, the material in the front and back portions are double weight knitted material while the crotch strap 32 is a single weight knit material.

The leg openings 24 may be provided during the knitting process by dropping out needles at selected points or the blank may be knit oontinuously straight through and the portions 24 later cut out therefrom.

In this modified form the leg openings are situated in the blank with the same considerations as stated to vgovern in forming the rst described garment, that is, less than half of the leg opening shall be taken out of the back portion.

To assemble the garment the blank is folded upon itself so that the edges 34 and 36 coincide with the edges 38 and 40 respectively. The edges are then secured by stitching or other suitable means. The elastic waistband and the elastic leg bands are then attached as formerly described.

A garment construction in accordance with my invention will have incorporated therein advantages not heretofore known in similar types of garments. The use of material having great transverse resiliency and slight longitudinal resiliency and having perspiration absorbent qualities assures a snug yet unbinding fit around the abdominal and crotch portions of the person wearing the garment. Ventilation without bagginess of material is secured. The great extension of the material which takes place when the garment is put on causes an enlargement of the interstices between the knit threads giving free access of air to the skin. This free access of air to the skin in combination with the absorbent quality of the material insures against unhealthful skin conditions so often found when non-porousor non-absorbent garments are used.

The novel position of the leg openings and the direction of the stresses in the assembled garment and the absence of seams result in comfort at the seat and the crotch. The material in the seat portion extends downwardly a suiilcient distance to afford ample yet non-bagging coverage while the direction of the stresses maintain the crotch portionungathered. 'I'he novel positioning of the crotch seam at the median line of the crotch results in new comfort. It has been found that there is no tendency for the crotch strap to be pulled upwardly in a rearward direction as has been the case where the seam is placed part way up the back in the shape of a gusset. Thus no portion of the body is covered by more than one layer of the material.

A third form of my invention is shown in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive. In this form of the invention the numerals Ill, 42, and 44 indicate the upper, central and lower portions respectively of the chest and abdomen encircling part oi the garment. These portions preferably are knit integrally on a tubular knitting machine in the shape of a tube. The'portions 40 and 44 are of double knit ribbed material having ribs which run parallel with the axis o! the knit tube, thereby providing for great resiliency transversely across the garment.

The part 42 located slightly above the waistline is single knit material having ribs running the same way as in the portions 40 and 44. This single knit portion 42 is preferably about 4" in width and the stitches may be pulled somewhat tighter during the knitting operation in order to shape the garment.

The tubular portion of the garment may extend to any point below the waistline but in the preferred embodiment of this form of the i per crotch portion, the seat portion and the lower crotch portion respectively. These parts of the garment are made in the knitting operation contiguously with the -knitting of the upper or tubular portion. However, the parts 28, and 32 are knit over only one-half of g,

the tube, the other half of the needles being dropped out of operation. The knitting operation which is continued to form the lower vsemitubular parts 28, 30, and 32 is a continuation only of that half of the upper tubular portion y,

which is to form the front of the garment. When the knitting operation is completed, but before the blank is made into a garment, it is substantially a tube having a semi-tubular portion depending therefrom.

The upper crotch portion- 28 and the seat portion 3i) are of the same double knit construction and material as are the parts and i4 while the lower crotch portion 32 is of the same single knit construction and material as is the portion 42.

The seat portion 30 in this form of the garment is the same size and configuration as is the seat portion in the other forms of the invention.

Arm openings 48 are' provided at each side of the upper portion of the garment by cutting out portions of the material in substantially the shape of a parabola with the closed end 'of the said parabola lowermost in the garment. In this form of the garment it is preferred that the arm openings extend downwardly to a point near the upper margin of the single knit portion 42.

The neck encircling opening has its lower back and front edges 50 and 52 respectively cut out of the upper end opposite each other and disposed centrally between the arm openings. The contour of each of the edges 5l] and 52 is substantially similar to the contour of a crescent. The front upper edge is cut at a point in the garment somewhat lower than the back upper edge so that the upper central part of the chest is not covered but the back is covered well up toward the base of the neck.

In the preferred form of the garment, the edges of the arm openings and the edges 5D and 52 of the neck opening have a binding 54 attached thereon which is preferably a light weight, non-resilient knit material. The bindings are of suiiicient length that they extend upwardly beyond the tubular knit portion and the upper inner edges of the said bindings abut against and are stitched to each other thus forming the lower portions of shoulder straps. The upper portions of the shoulder straps l. and I l are composed of longitudinally elastic material equal in width to the width of the abutting bindings and the ends of the elastic are attached to the upper end of the said bindings.

Leg openings 24 are cut out of the semi-tubular portion of the blanks so as to carry out the spirit of the invention as it is practiced in the form of the garment shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive. 'I'hat is, the contour of the cut 80, Fig. l0. for each of the leg openings is halfheart shaped as it has been found that a substantially half-heart shaped cut results in inwardly tapered leg openings which are placed well toward the front of the garment and in other novel results which have been set out hereinabove.

In the preferred embodiment of the form of the invention shown in Figs. '1 to 10, inclusive, the part of the leg opening cut which would correspond to the lower point of the heart is placed in the blank at the end of the tubular knit portion shown by dotted line 4B and all parts of the leg opening cut are in the semitubular portion.

The reference numeral 8 indicates a band of knitted or other elastic material preferably about one inch in width which is attached along the lower free end of the semi-tubular knit portion and the reference numeral 26 indicates a mild elastic with which the leg openings are iinished. The elastic 26 used in this form of the garment is of the same kind as has been described and used in the other forms of this invention. In this form, as in the others, it has been found that the mild elastic is the most suitable in its cooperation with the other parts of the garment and in the same novel way.

To complete the formation of the garment, the seat portion 30 is folded upwardly upon the lower back part of the tubular portion so that the two extremities of the leg cut out are in register with each other and thus make a closed leg opening. 'I'he edges 62 of the seat portion 30 as Well as the ends of the elastic 8 are attached by stitching throughout their length to the sides of the tubular portion.

The seat portion 30 is made of a sufficient length so that it will overlap the lower rear part of the abdomen encircling portion of the garment, and the upper edge of the elastic 8 may be left unstitched without fear of having a part of the back uncovered when the person wearing the garment bends forward.

The form of garment shown in Figs. '7 to 10 inclusive has all of the novel advantages which have been pointed out as being possessed by the forms of garments shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive.

In addition to these previously discussed advantages the garment is meritorious in that it is a one piece undergarment which covers the chest and abdomen and at the same time aiords mild athletic support.

The non-resilient binding 54 attached to the edges of the arm and neck openings extends to a point above the tubular knit portion where the elastic shoulder insert is attached. The garment is so constructed that compensation is made for the strain in 'a vertical direction which occurs when a person wearing the garment bends over. First, the insert in the shoulder straps is elastic. Second. the non-resilient binding extends above the tubular knit portion and. because of this upward extension and the nonresilient character of the binding, the strain on the shoulder straps which is not compensated for by the elastic insert is directed downwardly and to the sides of the garment below the arm pits, thence down the sides of the garment to the upper edges of the leg openings which are free to be extended greatly. Third, any strain which would not be thus directed away from the back would be compensated for by the freedom of vertical movement of the back of the garment due to its being unattached to the seat portion.

The use of a ribbed highly resilient material will also compensate for tortional strains which had heretofore been the cause of much discomfort and results in further advantages not present in snug fitting non-resilient garments.

The structure is adapted advantageously for utility purposes. The porous character of the material allows free access of air to the skin. The construction of the overlapping portions at the seat of the garment are so disposed that there is only one layer of material at the crotch. Moreover it is such that it is unnecessary to use buttons or other inconvenient attaching elements.

It will be understood that I do not limit myself to the materials and the details of construction set out in the above specification and description but I may make modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an undergarment, a blank of knitted material having wales extending longitudinally thereof and forming a front portion, a crotch portion and a seat portion, a substantially halfheart shaped leg bay in each side of said blank, the rounded end of each leg bay being in said front portion and dening an edge which extends across said wales, the portion of said leg bay which extends through said crotch being substantially parallel to said wales and the portion of said leg bay which extends into said seat being slightly curved and extending across said wales, the side edges of said blank being of substantially equal length and being stitched together to form leg openings.

2. In an undergarment, a blank of knitted material having wales extending longitudinally thereof and forming a body portion, a crotch portion and a seat portion, said body portion having arm openings and a neck opening therein, a substantially half-heart shaped leg bay in each side of said blank, the rounded end of each leg bay being in the front of said body portion and defining an edge which extends across said wales, the portion of said leg bay which extends through the crotch defining an edge substantially parallel to said Wales and the portion of said leg bay which extends into said seat being slightly curved and extending across said wales, a mild elastic attached to said material along the edges of said bays, the side edges of said seat portion being stitched to the sides of said body portion to form leg openings.

ARTHUR M. REIS. 

